COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Tory Pitner (El Cerrito, Calif.) scored the game-winner as Team USA defeated Switzerland, 5-2, tonight in its second game of the 2022 Athletix Five Nations Tournament at Ed Robson Arena.
“I'm happy for the kids that they got the result that they earned,” said Dan Jablonic (Milwaukee, Wis.), head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Select Team. "Hats off to the Swiss. Obviously it was a tight game, which was good for our team. There were some good plays on both sides. We had some great scoring opportunities, and for us we're always trying to look at how we can move forward and learn from this, so I'm really excited and proud of our kids.”
Chase Stefanek (Yorba Linda, Calif.) struck first for Team USA. Teddy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) picked up a loose puck and fed it to Andrew DellaSalla (Rye, N.Y.), who set up Stefanek for a tip-in netfront.
Dallas Vieau (Hermantown, Minn.) made it 2-0 just over one minute later at the 9:20 mark. Geno Carcone (Woodstock, Ga.) sent the puck along the boards to Mac Swanson (Anchorage, Alaska), who passed it to Vieau from behind the net and Vieau fired a one-timer past the Swiss goaltender.
Switzerland got on the board with just over five minutes into the second period, cutting Team USA’s lead to 2-1. The Swiss then tied the game at the 8:44 mark.
However, the U.S. regained its lead after Pitner scored from the left faceoff dot on a powerplay. Will Zellers (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Aidan Park (Playa Vista, Calif.) collected assists on the play.
Swizterland had an opportunity to tie it up again with a penalty shot with 1:20 left in the second, but netminder Caleb Heil (Victoria, Minn.) made the stop.
Alexander Bales (East Amherst, N.Y.) gave the U.S. a 4-2 lead at the 6:27 mark in the third period, carrying the puck into the zone and burying a shot from the left circle off a pass from DellaSalla. And Zellers solidified a 5-2 win for Team USA with an empty net, shorthanded goal with 14 seconds left to play.
Heil started his first game of the tournament, tallying 23 saves for the U.S.
The U.S. continues play in the 2022 Athletix Five Nations Tournament against Slovakia on Friday (Aug. 12) at Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET) and the game can be seen live on Hockey TV.
Slovakia and Germany faced off in the first game of the day earlier this afternoon. The two teams were tied at 1-1 at the end of the first period, but Slovakia scored four goals in the second to pull ahead. Germany wouldn’t find the back of the net again until the third period. The final score was 8-2 in favor of Slovakia.
Germany’s Lukas Stuhrmann stopped 27 of the 35 shots he faced, while Slovakia’s Sebastian Bodnar stopped 21 of 23 to secure the win.
NOTES: Team USA outshot Germany 44-25 … Team USA was 1 for 4 on the power play, while Switzerland was 0 for 6.